The emergence and popularity of mobile computing has made portable electronic devices, due to their compact design and light weight, a staple in today's marketplace. Many portable electronic devices employ a clam-shell type design such as notebook computers, netbooks, tablet personal computers, and handheld devices. Generally, a clam-shell design consists of two housings connected together at a common end. The upper housing typically includes a display for presenting images and graphics to the user on one side, and a cover panel positioned on an opposite side. As the number portable electronic devices continue to increase, so does the demand to provide custom or personalized cover panels for each individual user of these devices. Moreover, the customized cover panel should be capable of simple insertion and removal so that any user, regardless of technical know-how, can confidently and efficiently perform such a task.